Additionally, Cody Rhodes explained that he’s seen many second and third-generation wrestlers buckle under the pressure of their parents’ or grandparents’ legacies, despite being naturally good due to not working hard. “I looked at it a little differently in the sense that I selfishly wanted to be better, because that’s kind of how my dad raised me,” he added, noting that he and his father were always in competition.

“I wanted to be better than he was, and my dad – to me – is a Mount Rushmore guy. My dad is… How could you ever be better?” Rhodes admitted, noting that the only way he found he could live up to his father’s legacy would be to do things Dusty never did instead. “I didn’t think of it so much as a shadow as more than anything like a light; very inspiring.”

He further added that it’s tough either way, because there’s always an expectation placed on a second or third generation wrestler to live up to their family legacy, but if they act too much like their parents/grandparents, they’re seen as an emulator. “It’s a tricky, tricky road! I’ve been – I’m good enough at this point, though. I feel like I’ve worked my way through it!”

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit “ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.